New Adventures is a British dance-theatre company. Founded by choreographer Matthew Bourne in 2001, the company developed from an earlier company Adventures in Motion Pictures, now dissolved.
History Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP) was established in 1987 by a group of students from London's Laban Centre, including Matthew Bourne, Catherine White (now Malone), Emma Gladstone, Susan Lewis, Carrollynne Antoun, David Massingham and Keith Brazil. AMP's productions like Spitfire (1988), parodied the manners of romantic ballet dancers.
By 1991, the original members of the company were working outside of AMP, and Bourne held auditions for new dancers, forming a company with six core dancers, including Scott Ambler (later founder artistic associate), Etta Murfitt (now associate artistic director), Ben Wright, Ally Fitzpatrick and Jamie Watton. Their first piece together was Town & Country (1991). Subsequent AMP productions included Nutcracker! (1992), Highland Fling (1994), Swan Lake (1995), Cinderella (1997) and The Car Man (2000).
In 2000, Bourne formed New Adventures with producer Robert Noble, who became co-director of the company. New Adventures Limited was incorporated in January 2001. New Adventures Charity (incorporated in 2008) is a registered charity (charity number: 1125342) that works "To advance the education of young people, dance practitioners and the general public particularly but not exclusively through the provision of workshops and classes with specific but not exclusive reference to the dance choreography of Matthew Bourne".
New Adventures has been a National Portfolio Organisation receiving funding from Arts Council England since 2015.
Awards Laurence Olivier Awards AMP or New Adventures have received 12 Laurence Olivier Awards nominations, winning six. Category Production Year Nomination/WinOutstanding Achievement in Dance (Most promising small dance company to present a West End season)Town and Country1992NominationBest New Dance ProductionNutcracker!1994NominationBest New Dance ProductionSwan Lake1996WinOutstanding Achievement in Dance (Lez Brotherston - Set Design & Costume)Cinderella1998WinOutstanding Achievement in Dance (Matthew Bourne - Concept and Dramatisation)The Car Man2001NominationBest Lighting Design (Paule Constable)Play Without Words2003NominationBest EntertainmentPlay Without Words2003WinBest Choreography in Theatre (Matthew Bourne)Play Without Words2003WinBest New Dance ProductionCinderella2011NominationOutstanding Achievement in Dance (Lez Brotherston - Set Design & Costume)The Sleeping Beauty2013NominationBest Choreography in Theatre (Matthew Bourne)The Red Shoes2017WinBest EntertainmentThe Red Shoes2017Win
Other awards +Other awards won by AMP or New Adventures productionsAwardCategoryYearSwan LakeThe Manchester Evening News AwardBest Touring Dance Production1996Gay Times Readers PollOutstanding Live Performance1996Time Out Dance AwardAdam Cooper for his performance as Swan/Stranger1996Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle AwardsBest Choreography1997The South Bank Show AwardMatthew Bourne for his Swan Lake1997The Evening Standard Ballet AwardsAdam Cooper for his performance as Swan/Stranger1997Dramalogue AwardsMusical Director (David Frame)1997Dramalogue AwardsOutstanding Performance (Adam Cooper and Scott Ambler)1997Dramalogue AwardsDirector (Matthew Bourne)1997Dramalogue AwardsProducer (Katherine Doré)1997Dramalogue AwardsSet and Costume Design (Lez Brotherston)1997Tony AwardsBest Choreography1999Tony AwardsBest direction of a Musical1999Astaire AwardSpecial Award for Direction, Choreography & Concept1999Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Director of a Musical (Matthew Bourne)1999Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Choreography (Matthew Bourne)1999Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Set Design of a Musical (Lez Brotherston)1999Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Costume Design (Lez Brotherston)1999Drama Desk AwardsUnique Theatrical Experience1999Outer Circle Critics AwardsOutstanding Director of a Musical (Matthew Bourne)1999Outer Circle Critics AwardsOutstanding Choreography (Matthew Bourne)1999Outer Circle Critics AwardsOutstanding Costume Design (Lez Brotherston)1999The Car ManEvening Standard AwardMusical Event2000Los Angeles Drama Critics AwardBest Choreography2000Edward ScissorhandsDrama Desk AwardUnique Theatrical Experience2007
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